Arqiva inks exclusive Middle East deal

Arqiva dishArqiva has announced it will support Qatar’s first satellite company Es’hailSat to distribute Al Jazeera Media Network channels to the Middle East.

It will do so by transmitting via two of the Es’hailSat transponders available to Al Jazeera Media Network. The first Es’hailSat transponder for Al Jazeera was launched in December 2013,
with the second due in Q2 this year.

Commenting on the development, Barrie Woolston, commercial director of satellite & media at Arqiva, said: “this marks a significant step in our international expansion, providing a resilient and secure satellite service for Al Jazeera in the Middle East. It’s a strategically important market for Arqiva and we will be looking to deepen our presence there over the next 18 months. This cooperation with Es’hailSat reinforces our commitment to the region.”

Ali Al Kuwari, CEO at Es’hailSat, added: “Our first broadcast of Al Jazeera’s premium channels across the Middle East and North Africa marked the entry into service of Es’hail 1 and a major milestone for Es’hailSat. Our cooperation with Arqiva, with 90 years of experience providing reliable connectivity, strengthens our ability to provide broadcasting independence, quality service and wide geographical coverage for video, enterprise and government communications.”